Between the 2nd and 8th of May, healthcare professionals in the Algarve region are promoting awareness-raising activities on hand hygiene practices in surgical services, aimed at the community in general, children, adults and healthcare professionals.
Under the motto “Safe Surgery saves lives: a priority to improve hand hygiene practices in all surgical services”, the World Health Organization celebrates World Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May.
It is intended in this way to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene in surgical services to reduce Surgical Site Infections in patients and reduce costs in the health system.
O Regional Coordination Group for the Prevention and Control of Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program (GCR-PPCIRA) from the Department of Public Health and Planning of the ARS Algarve supports the implementation of the Basic Precautions in Infection Control (PBCI) campaign in the various institutions of the three levels of health care.
This year, in close coordination with the DGS and with the PPCIRA Local Coordination Groups (GCL) of the CHA Algarve and the Portuguese Operating Room Nurses Association, the GCR-PPCIRA translated and adapted several posters that were made available by WHO.
It also produced a pocket booklet (triptych) for health professionals that contains the intervention bundles for the prevention of major infections and names the 10 items of the PBCI.
All this material was sent to the PPCIRA GCL at the various levels of care and is available in the ARS official page.
The GCL PPCIRA at the three levels of healthcare in the Algarve carry out various activities such as exhibitions, awareness raising actions on the importance of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections.
Thus, between the 2nd and 5th of May, it takes place in the hall of the Unit of Faro the Centro Hospitalar do Algarve, an awareness-raising action where visitors are invited to sanitize their hands, then visualize, using specific equipment, the quality of the technique they have performed. The practice is accompanied by teaching and information that aims to promote safe behavior in the hospital environment and in the community itself.
At the same time, there will also be an exhibition on the theme of «Hand Hygiene», with works by children who were admitted to the Pediatrics Service. Actions aimed at the youngest continue throughout this week with playful-pedagogical activities dedicated to the theme, covering children who undergo outpatient, inpatient and pediatric day hospitals.
For the 4th and 6th of May, two training sessions are scheduled for educators and assistants at the Children's Center of the Hospital de Faro.
At the Portimão unit, the celebrations began today, May 2, with an exhibition of posters alluding to the campaign and presentation of the global results of the rate of adherence to hand hygiene at the Portimão and Lagos units.
On the 3rd, GCL-PPCIRA health professionals will travel to the Júdice Fialho Schools Group, in Portimão, to sensitize preschool and 1st cycle children about the importance of hand washing, in an action that aims to promote good habits through an interactive experience.
On the 4th, at 12 noon, a presentation is scheduled in the auditorium of the Portimão unit on the results of the Regional Study on the prevalence of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis carried out in 2015, the results of the 2015 Hand Hygiene Campaign and the results of the health programs epidemiological surveillance carried out at the Portimão and Lagos units in 2015.
On May 5th, the Portimão unit held a balloon launch with messages alluding to the day, with the collaboration of children from an invited school, taking advantage of this moment once again to disseminate information about the newest among the youngest. importance of hand hygiene.
On May 6, health professionals from the Portimão unit will carry out an awareness-raising action at the Continente Shopping Center in Portimão using equipment with ultraviolet light to verify the effectiveness of hand hygiene and provide information to the population.
In the area of Continuing Integrated Care, activities will also be developed, of which the following stand out: on May 4, users of the Olhão Medium Duration and Rehabilitation Unit will have the opportunity to participate in playful painting activities alluding to the theme of cleaning the hands.
At the UCCI Convalescence of Loulé, users' relatives will have the opportunity to clarify doubts with health professionals and receive information to encourage hand hygiene.
On the other hand, in Portimão, at UCCI Al-Vita, all Nurses and Operational Assistants will have a card referring to the date, with a session teaching users, family members and employees on the correct way to sanitize their hands, with resource the 'ultraviolet light machine'.
Employees, users and family members at the Albufeira Long-Term and Maintenance Unit will receive pins depicting the day and pocket cards with washing and friction techniques, prepared by the unit's users.
Leaflets on the importance of hand hygiene and basic precautions will also be made available to the general population, and this distribution will be made by employees and users outside the unit.
In the Long-Term Continued Care and Maintenance Unit of Faro, users and professionals will dedicate the World Day to making cookies in the shape of a hand, which will then be placed in small bags depicting the celebration of World Hand Hygiene Day and given to patients and their families.
It is intended in this way, through collective involvement (patients, family members and health professionals) to raise awareness of the importance of PBCI, namely hand hygiene in a playful and different way.
At the Center for Medicine and Rehabilitation of the South in São Brás de Alportel, an awareness-raising action on Basic Infection Control Precautions is scheduled for May 5, aimed at health professionals and users, and will be accompanied by specially composed music. by the center team, alluding to hand hygiene.
In the scope of Primary Health Care, the link to the GCL-PPCIRA, users and professionals at the Personalized Health Care Unit in Aljezur, will receive information on May 5 in an exhibition of educational material about the campaign.
Also at the Lagoa health center and Estômbar extension, a leaflet was prepared for users and their families and an awareness-raising action will be carried out on the importance of hand hygiene on May 5th.
For its part, the Directorate-General of Health, through the Program for the Prevention and Control of Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance, promotes an event alluding to the practice of Hand Hygiene and Basic Infection Control Precautions as a whole on May 5th , at 9 am, at the Tomé Pires Auditorium, of Infarmed, in Lisbon, whose program is available here.
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